


ursa major

by written_you_down



Category: Bastille (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, M/M, all of my christmas fics and all of your christmas fics we post them one by one, daniel all about the mythology smith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28130757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/written_you_down/pseuds/written_you_down
Summary: Daniel Smith was not meant for adventures of any sort.
Relationships: Kyle Simmons/Dan Smith
Comments: 13
Kudos: 20





	ursa major

**Author's Note:**

  * For [groundopenwide](https://archiveofourown.org/users/groundopenwide/gifts).



> I don't know _what_ this story is, but it's all yours. 
> 
> Merry Christmas, friend.

Daniel Smith was not meant for adventures of any sort, but one thing had led to another and now he found himself held captive.

He was a prisoner on a bloody pirate ship, of all things. It was appalling, deplorable, and unsanitary. He shuddered when he took a silent inventory of the atrocities he had witnessed during his imprisonment. It was certainly nothing he could share with his mother or his sister, both of whom he had taken care to write each week he was away.

Frankly, Daniel wasn’t sure the pirates’ behavior was even befitting the pages of his journal—not that his journals were currently in his possession. It was with great regret that he had been made to leave them behind. The journals were filled with Daniel’s tiny script—descriptions of the many species he had encountered on his expedition and his attempts at drawing their likenesses. 

Mostly, it contained notes regarding Murphy. Daniel looked at Murphy now and lightly petted his coarse grey fur. Murphy, in turn, arched his back lazily, requesting a proper back scratch. The fact that they were both prisoners was of no concern to the wombat. He cared only for his meals and Daniel. 

Dutifully, Daniel dug his fingers up and down the animal’s spine and felt if it were capable of smiles, it would be doing so now. He tried to fixate on those small movements and ignore the terrible predicament he was currently in. 

He had been forced to leave the _Annie Oakley_ and live amongst actual ruffians. 

Daniel closed his eyes as he recalled the moment when all was lost.

—

The _Annie Oakley_ was on fire. 

As Daniel frantically tossed pail after pail of water onto the flames, he was grateful for the first time in an age to be surrounded by an ocean. The ocean had dictated all aspects of his life for twelve months and he often found himself resentful of it. It was an unnatural way of living and not one he was suited for. It had taken him weeks to adjust to the water’s ebbs and flows, weeks to stomach his meals. 

In time, the _Annie Oakley_ had become his home. While its sailors had not become his family, exactly, Daniel had earned his place amongst them. He toiled by their side now, attempting to douse the flames to save both The _Annie Oakley_ and his own life. 

Daniel worked without ceasing for what felt like hours. It was only when someone roughly grabbed and twisted his arm that he stilled. It was only when he felt the barrel of a revolver pressed into his back that he realized that everything in his life was over.

“Mate,” hissed a voice behind his ear. “I don’t want to kill you, but I will if necessary.” The owner of the voice tightened his hold on Daniel’s arm and bent it in a manner that illustrated his knowledge of the most effective methods to achieve that end—that he had killed before. “You need to do as I tell you.”

Certain that he was about to meet his end, Daniel tried to focus on the man’s words. His body felt numb, but he nodded his head. 

“Right then, drop the bucket,” the voice replied and Daniel felt his hand release the empty pail of its own accord. “Ah, now there’s a good lad,” came the voice’s approval. “Now turn slowly and face me, keeping in mind that I will shoot you if need be.” The barrel pressed once more against the small of his back as a reminder. 

Daniel moved and stood directly in front of his captor whom he found to be small in stature. For a brief moment, Daniel wondered if he could find a way to use his height to his advantage and escape. A gunshot rang out from a distance across the deck, and Daniel dropped the notion of freedom in an instant and fell to his knees. 

His captor gave no indication that the battle around them bothered him in the slightest and kept his attention on the matter between them. He only glanced away from Daniel when one of his cohorts came and stood beside him. “Tyde, there you are—bind the wrists on this one, will you? We can decide what to do with him later. Cap will want to keep him.” He walked off at a clip, calling over his shoulder as he went, “Cover his eyes when you’re done.”

Daniel’s mind raced to keep up with the implications of all that he was hearing. It was difficult to focus through his fear with the chaos surrounding him, and he looked at the man called Tyde who now stood before him. He appeared younger than the others who raided the ship: his face bore few signs that he had been at sea for very long, his eyes were less hard. Daniel noticed the rope he held in his hands and felt a sweat break across his body. 

“P, P, Please,” he stammered as the larger man approached him. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“It isn’t up to me,” Tyde muttered. 

Daniel was desperate. “It is! You don’t have to do this. I, I—my family! They have means. We could make it worth your while.”

Tyde snorted. “Your money doesn’t do me any good, now does it?”

“But, but it could! You could have enough to—“

“Anything you give me, the captain will take.” Tyde grabbed Daniel’s wrists, shoved them together, and began wrapping the rope around them. “Your money or rather, your ransom, is the only reason Cut-throat didn’t immediately dispose of you.”

Daniel sensed this wasn’t the time to ask questions, and yet he found himself saying, “Cut-throat?”

Tyde continued his work with the rope. “The man with the revolver? Have you already forgotten him?”

Somehow Daniel was more offended that he was being insulted than he was that he was being captured. “His name is _Cut-throat_? What sort of—”

“It’s a proper name for a pirate, innit? Cut-throat Charlie.” He looked up and smirked. “You’re certainly in no position to judge a person’s name, are you? What do they call you? I bet you’re something regal, aren’t you? An esquire? A lawyer? With hands like these, you’re certainly no seaman.”

“I’m called Daniel,” he bristled. “Dr. Daniel Smith, I—“

Tyde’s laughter revealed a row of surprisingly white teeth. “Quite original. Dr. Smith. Are you, really? You can heal the sick? Be called upon for surgery? Cap will be pleased to hear it.”

“I’m not a doctor of medicine. I’m a scientist.”

“He’ll find that less interesting. You might consider lying when you meet him, if you’d like to stay out of harm’s way.” 

Daniel blanched at that, suddenly reminded of how dire his circumstances were. He fell silent, his thoughts racing, and watched as Tyde knotted the ends of the rope together. He didn’t dare move his hands and run the risk of upsetting his new captor, though he seemed almost amiable. He watched as Tyde pulled out a handkerchief and began folding it.

“To cover your eyes.”

Daniel’s heart sank and he felt as if another nail was being driven into his coffin. 

“Sorry,” Tyde said. To Daniel’s surprise, he did sound as if he meant it. “But an order is an order.” He leaned forward to place the fabric around Daniel’s face.

“Wait! Can you please just wait—“ Daniel froze as the other man paused, eyebrows raised, their faces only centimeters apart. “Will you be taking me to your, your ship?”

“Yes. I’m afraid so. Though it is the better of your current options.”

“We have to fetch something first. Please.” Daniel swallowed. “I, I can’t leave him here.”

“It doesn’t work that way, you—“

Daniel’s words rushed out. “I’m a scientist, a scientist on a ship. Aren’t you concerned at all as to why I’m here? What I’ve been collecting?”

Tyde lifted his shoulders. “Assumed it would be plants or some other—“

“I have a wombat,” Daniel stated, as if that settled the matter.

“A what-now?”

“He’s a marsupial, native to Australia.” Daniel waited for a response. Tyde still stood alarmingly close but showed no signs of having understood him. “A rare animal. He’s one of the reasons I was on the expedition. He is of immense value but is exceedingly difficult to care for. I am the only one who can handle him.” 

It was, of course, utter nonsense, but he prayed that the pirate had limited knowledge of marsupials. In truth, they were rare creatures, and it was partially why Daniel was sent on his journey. However, Murphy had shown time and time again, he needed very little indeed to flourish. The animal was better suited for ship life than Daniel could ever hope to be. 

He stared evenly at his captor, willing the pirate to believe him.

Tyde took a step back. “God help us both if you’re lying. Where is it?”

Daniel straightened. “Tween deck. We can fetch him together.”

“Of course we’ll go together. What sort of fool do you take me for?”

Daniel thought better of answering. “It’s best if I lead, though you’ll have to be the one to climb down the ladder to reach him.” He lifted his bound wrists.

Tyde nodded his consent and the two moved together amongst the chaos. His mind suddenly tasked with securing Murphy, Daniel felt a bit better as they walked. He hazarded a glance up and asked, “What is it that they call you? Tyde?”

He shrugged. “Tall Tyde, on account of my being…”

“Tall, yes. I assumed,” Daniel didn’t smile, but he no longer felt that he was immediate danger. 

“But my mother called me Kyle.”

—

In the end, when Daniel boarded the _Bastille_ as a prisoner, his eyes were covered. Kyle guided his steps and toted Murphy in a burlap sack that stretched across his shoulders. It was terrifying to not have his vision, but more unnerving still were the sounds of shouts and gunshots all about him. 

He heard a door squeak open, and it seemed as if he were being led inside some sort of cabin.

“You can uncover his eyes,” said a voice that dripped with boredom.

Daniel blinked at the sudden intrusion of light and found himself staring at a man he presumed to be the captain of the _Bastille_.

“Oh, hullo there,” the man greeted him as if they had chanced upon one another on the street. 

Daniel felt his mouth grow dry in fear and looked to Kyle for aid. Kyle, for his part, stood perfectly straight and at attention. 

The man moved closer as if he possessed all the time in the world. “And who might you be?”

“Daniel Smith, formerly of the _Annie Oakley_.”

The corners of the man’s mouth twitched up in a small grin. “‘Formerly of the _Annie Oakley_ he says.’ I suppose that’s true enough. However, it isn’t the answer I’m searching for.” He cut his eyes to Kyle. “Why did you bring this Daniel Smith to me? My orders for this mission were quite clear.”

The manner in which Kyle’s jaw clenched was not lost upon Daniel. 

“Sir. He is a scientist on an expedition—“

“What, pray tell, is that horrendous odor coming from you, Tyde? How have you managed to smell more offensive than usual?” The man’s nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Sir. It isn’t me. It’s the scientist—“

The man’s eyes shifted towards Daniel and then back again to Kyle.

“No. Most assuredly it’s coming from you.” Noticing the rucksack for the first time, he walked behind Kyle and opened it further. As he did, Murphy lifted his head out of the bag and blinked heavily as if waking from a slumber.

“What is this delightful creature?” he wondered, his grin spreading wider.

At Kyle’s hesitation, Daniel spoke, “It’s called a wombat, it’s a rare animal that has been in my care for some months now. It was held in high value by the company and was to be presented to her majesty and my university upon our return. As it has difficulties flourishing, I have been charged with maintaining it until we reach land.” Daniel glanced at the man and found that he was staring at him with a raised eyebrow. Though he felt ridiculous to do so, he stuck his chin outward and added, “Sir.”

The man chuckled. “Very nice indeed.” He moved to stand directly in front of Daniel. “Where are my manners? I haven’t properly introduced myself. I’m William England, captain of the _Bastille_ and as you might have surmised, the pirate responsible for setting your ship ablaze.”

William glanced at Kyle. “You disobeyed my orders, but I am a forgiving captain. You’ll go without rations for two days, take additional night watches for the next month and I’ll hold you directly responsible for the care of this adorable creature and its scientist.” He reached over and cupped the side of Kyle’s face. Kyle winced as if he were anticipating a blow. “Either one steps out of line or becomes an annoyance in any manner and the three of you will suffer the same consequence.” 

“Sir. Yes, sir,” Kyle barked and William petted his face roughly. They weren’t quite heavy enough to be considered strikes, but Daniel could feel their implications from where he stood. William released his grip on Kyle and stared darkly at Daniel. “Welcome to the _Bastille_ , Daniel Smith. Mind your step.”

—

His accommodations on the _Annie Oakley_ had been dismal, but his words failed Daniel altogether once he took in what was to be his new home on the _Bastille_.

His only possessions were the clothes on his back and Murphy. While he was full of gratitude that the creature had survived and knew that he owed his own life to him, Daniel longed for his journals. He had spent months compiling data and creating sketches. It wasn’t quite his life’s work, but very near to it.

As he had stood on deck watching Kyle frantically procure both Murphy and the food necessary for his survival, there had been a moment that Daniel’s eyes fell upon his small stack of books. Kyle seemed to understand his intentions but shook his head in denial at Daniel’s unspoken request.

“Home sweet home,” Kyle muttered and Daniel startled at the sound of his voice. Kyle gave a pointed nod in the direction of two empty hammocks. “The furthest one is yours, the other is mine.” 

Doing his best to avoid eye contact with the others who were nearby, Daniel forced his feet forward. He was acutely aware that it was impossible to have privacy on a boat, but fortunately, their hammocks were draped into a corner. They were not spacious, but they were out of the other’s line of sight. 

Settling into his, he lifted Murphy out of the rucksack and prayed that the animal would continue to remain silent to prevent them from attracting any further unwanted attention. 

He glanced up as a shadow fell upon him and found himself staring at Kyle. He watched as Kyle darted a quick look over his shoulder before sliding his hands into his coat pockets. He swiftly removed them and displayed four of Daniel’s journals. 

His voice was soft as he spoke, “I nicked these for you, but don’t let the others know that you have them. The captain isn’t much on any of us reading.” 

Daniel stared at him, trying to make sense of this seemingly random act of kindness. “I am much obliged. These are—are of great importance to me.”

Kyle smiled in a manner that seemed friendly. “So I gathered from the way you gazed so longingly at them earlier.” He reached up and retrieved a blanket from his hammock and placed it beside Daniel. “Here, you’ll have to make do with this tonight. Tomorrow we’ll scout around for more. Amenities are difficult to come by.” He lifted a shoulder in apology.

“Thank you,” Daniel replied, still trying to determine what Kyle had to gain by being friendly to him. Watching Kyle disappear from view, Daniel did his best to find a comfortable position in what was surely the end of the most uncomfortable day of his life. 

—

A fortnight passed and Daniel fell into a routine of sorts, mostly centered around avoiding the captain at all costs. The ship was large and was home to enough men that he had some success in hiding amongst the crowd. He found the men to be rough around the edges but no more so than the typical seaman, despite their criminal activities. Most of their concerns with Daniel were in regards to Murphy, which was to be expected—no one had ever seen such an animal before. 

Daniel found that as long as he stayed close to Kyle, the others would accept his presence without question. To his surprise, he found that he enjoyed his time with Kyle. He wasn’t sure if Kyle simply tolerated him because Daniel was his responsibility or if there was a genuine friendship forming between them. 

He would often join Kyle on his night watches. Daniel couldn’t say exactly why he did so, only that the nights Kyle was absent from the hammocks were more difficult to sleep through. On the first night, he tossed and turned for what felt like hours before finally admitting defeat. He bundled his clothes tightly, laced his boots and then stole away into the darkness to find Kyle.

Kyle raised an eyebrow upon seeing him but asked no questions. He moved to the side to make room for Daniel and together they stayed awake through the night, the wind wrapping around them, the sound of the waves crashing below their feet. 

Sometimes they spoke of nothing.

Kyle gestured to the sky, his fingertips outlining a constellation of stars. “The Great Bear,” he proclaimed. 

“Ursa Major,” Daniel contributed. “The ancient Greeks believed the stars were made from the body of Callisto, a nymph—I’m sorry. I don’t mean to bore you, I—“

“I’d like to hear it. Please.”

“Callisto made a vow of chastity to Artemis, the goddess of the wilderness, its animals and, um, virginity.”

Kyle’s forehead wrinkled. “What does that have to do with the wilderness?”

“I’ve never been quite clear on that point, either,” Daniel admitted. “Mythology doesn’t follow a logical line of reasoning.” He cleared his throat. “Callisto fell in love with Zeus, and they had a son called Arcas. You can imagine how that might have upset both Artemis and Zeus’s wife.”

He glanced over at Kyle and found that he had Kyle’s full attention and continued, “Artemis banished Callisto to the wilderness. Zeus’s wife saw fit to turn Callisto into a bear. For fifteen years, Callisto roamed the forest until one day she happened upon her son, Arcas. Arcas drew a spear, but before he could strike, Zeus intervened. He sent them to the sky and shaped them into stars.”

Daniel paused and then pointed upwards, drawing a circle around the same constellation that Kyle spotted earlier. “Callisto became Ursa Major, the Great Bear.” He shifted and gestured at a smaller group of stars just beside it. “Her son, Arcas became Ursa Minor, the Lesser Bear.”

He fell silent, embarrassed for having spoken for such a long time.

“Do you know about the others? The stories behind all the constellations?” Kyle wondered.

“Not all. But many of them, yes.” 

“That’s wonderful,” Kyle smiled. “Will you tell me about them?”

Daniel turned and found that Kyle was in earnest. “If you’d like me to, yes.”

Kyle nodded. 

And so they talked of the gods, the stars, and nothing at all.

— 

Sometimes they spoke of everything.

Kyle would talk of how his mother passed when he was a child, of how his studies ceased shortly there after. “There was no point to it,” he admitted. “Everything changed after she was gone and we needed money. Pity that there was no Zeus to turn us into stars.”

Dan spoke of his sister and how proud she had been when he was appointed to the expedition on the _Annie Oakley_. “She was convinced I would make a discovery and have something named after me,” Dan smiled.

“What sort of plant would a Daniel Smith be?” Kyle wondered. 

Daniel laughed. “Nothing very hardy, I’m sure. Most likely something delicate and frail.”

“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for—definitely sturdy oak tree material,” Kyle’s words were light but carried weight as they cut through the noise of the wind and water. 

Close to Kyle’s side, Daniel shifted back and rested against the panels of the ship. He faced forward but looked at Kyle from the corners of his eyes. “I don’t understand how it is that you ended up here. You, you aren’t like the others.”

Kyle sighed heavily. “I’m _exactly_ like the others.”

Daniel considered the statement carefully before dismissing it. “Bollocks.”

“Pardon you,” Kyle replied in amusement. “I’m not sure what sort of ship you think this—”

“Bollocks,” Daniel repeated firmly. “Perhaps neither of us know ourselves as well as we think we do. You’re different, that I’m certain of.”

“I’ve done terrible things. Things that I’m ashamed to talk about.”

“Do you regret them?”

Kyle fell silent for a long while. “Yes, of course, I do. But I’ll do them again. I don’t, I don’t have a choice.”

Daniel turned to look at Kyle directly. “What if you _did_ have a choice? What then?”

Kyle blinked. “If I had a choice, I would change everything.”

Daniel nodded before he shifted and leaned against Kyle’s side. “Let’s work on that, then. Let’s find a way to give you a choice.”

Kyle didn’t voice his reply. He settled against Daniel and stared out into the horizon. 

—

When the time came, Daniel was ill prepared but Kyle was not.

Daniel was deep in slumber, lost to the world around him, when he felt a hand on his shoulder, jostling him awake. It took him a moment to observe the scene around him. Kyle stood before him, two rucksacks by his feet, behind Kyle the others’ hammocks were unoccupied. Save for Murphy, whose head peeked out of the top of one of the burlap bags, they were alone. 

He sat up and was struck by how still everything suddenly was. For one ludicrous moment, Daniel thought that time had actually frozen—that it was just him and Kyle. For one terrifying moment, he realized that he wished that was his reality. He felt his face flush with warmth and struggled to speak of something, anything that wouldn’t betray his thoughts.

Kyle spoke first and his words rushed from him in a flood. “We’ve docked. Nearly everyone has departed the _Bastille_. You don’t have much time, this may be the only chance we’ll have to get you out of this.”

Daniel blinked and attempted to keep up. He kept his voice low. “We’re leaving? What? Now? I, I—“

“You. Daniel. You’re leaving. But you’ve got to hurry. It has to be now. Make yourself ready, put on as many layers of clothes as you can without looking suspicious. You’ll need all of them.” Kyle turned away after he spoke and Daniel hurried to follow his orders. As he dressed, he watched Kyle lift up one of the floor boards. Kyle bent down and pulled out a small leather pouch. 

“What are you—“ Dan wondered.

“Money. I’ve saved what I could. It isn’t much, but it’s all I have.”

“I couldn’t, I--”

“You can and you will,” Kyle placed the pouch in one of the rucksacks. “You’ll need it.”

“But—“

“There’s no time to argue. Do this for me. I brought you into this nightmare, I need to help you out of it.”

Daniel’s heart was in this throat. He had longed for this moment, for a chance at freedom, but now that it was staring him in the face, he didn’t know how to welcome it. It felt false. His entire body went numb and he gaped as Kyle placed the bags in his hand. 

Kyle met his stare. “Accept my apologies for all of it. Try not to think poorly of me, will you? Have a drink for me someday when you notice Ursa Major in the sky?”

Daniel felt a clarity wash over him. 

“We can have a drink under it together. Come with me.”

“Daniel. No. How would— No. There’s no time for this now.” Kyle shook his head and began to move away.

Daniel reached over and made a desperate grab for Kyle’s arm. “You spoke of not having choices. This, this is a choice. I meant what I said about you not being like the others. You don’t have to live this way. You could begin again-- you could come with me.”

Kyle looked up from Daniel’s hold on his arm and into his eyes. 

“You have to decide. The time is now.”

Kyle exhaled. “God help us both if you’re wrong.”

Daniel’s numbness was suddenly replaced with giddiness and adrenaline. He laughed. “The gods turn people into bears and then banish them to the bloody sky. Let’s make our own destinies.”


End file.
